Imphal, October 18 – The Manipur Congress has criticized the BJP-led state government for delaying the Autonomous District Council (ADC) elections for the past four years, accusing the administration of being “anti-tribal” and “anti-hill” people. Manipur has six autonomous district councils, and elections for these councils have not been held since 2020.
State Congress President Keisham Meghachandra took to social media platform X, stating, “The BJP government is anti-hill people, anti-tribal, as it has deliberately chosen not to conduct ADC elections for the last four years.” He also denounced the resolution passed by the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) on October 14, which urged the government to hold the long-pending ADC elections as soon as possible.
The HAC resolution proposed forming a temporary committee to manage the ADCs, comprising 20 members for each council, including 18 elected from former ADC members, local governance experts, intellectuals, and two government nominees. Meghachandra, however, slammed this resolution as “unconstitutional, illegal, and void,” asserting that the HAC lacks the constitutional authority to pass such a resolution.
He further criticized the BJP government for not holding the ADC elections since 2020, pointing out that the last elections were conducted by the Congress government in 2015, with the councils’ terms ending in 2020. The delay, Meghachandra claimed, has deprived the hill communities of crucial financial resources, including central grants, MGNREGS funds, and Finance Commission awards.
“The temporary arrangement of running the ADCs through illegal means of selection must stop immediately in the larger interests of the hill people of Manipur,” he added, urging the government to hold the elections without further delay.
